Bearing for a rotary press cylinder

ABSTRACT

A bearing assembly for a rotary printing press cylinder supports a journal of the cylinder using a plurality of support rollers. At least one of the cylinder journal support rollers is moveable so that the cylinder will either be supported or can be removed from the printing press.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a bearing for a cylinder of a rotaryprinting press.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

EP 0 598 240 B1 describes a rotary rotogravure printing press with eightrotogravure printing units for multicolor first and second web sideprinting. A forme cylinder of this rotary rotogravure printing press issupported in three support rollers of a steady rest bearing.

DE 12 44 807 A shows a forme cylinder of a rotary printing press, whichcan be pivoted on a lever arm

GB 608 206 A discloses a bearing for cylinders, wherein the journal ofthe cylinder is seated on three rollers. These three rollers can bepositionally displaced together.

DE 12 61 103 A describes a bearing arrangement for a printing press. Inthis case, the journals of the cylinders are seated on four rollersarranged in a plane, wherein respectively two rollers are arranged onebehind each other and next to each other. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is based on providing a bearing fora cylinder of a rotary printing press.

In accordance with the present invention, this object is attained byproviding a bearing for a cylinder of a rotary printing press in whichjournals of the cylinders act together, in a first position, with atleast three support rollers. When the cylinder is to be changed, atleast one of the three support rollers can be brought to a secondposition while at least two of the support rollers stay in the firstposition. Alternatively, all three of the support rollers can be moved.

The advantages which can be obtained by means of the invention reside inparticular, in that the change of a cylinder is very simple when using asteady rest bearing. A dependable absorption of force components inseveral directions is assured by “locking” by means of a support roller.It is advantageous to use the positionally changeable support roller forchanging a position for example, lifting, or lowering of the cylinder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the invention is represented in the drawingsand will be described in greater detail in what follows.

Shown are in:

FIG. 1, a schematic lateral view of a steady rest bearing of a firstpreferred embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 2, an enlarged portion of the steady rest bearing in FIG. 1, and in

FIG. 3, a schematic lateral view of a steady rest bearing of a secondpreferred embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A printing unit 01 of a rotary rotogravure printing press is depictedschematically in FIG. 1, and in more detail in FIG. 2 and essentiallyconsists of an impression cylinder 02, a forme cylinder 03 and an inkapplication device. A material to be imprinted, for example a web 06, isprinted by a rotogravure process between the impression cylinder 02 andthe forme cylinder 03. The forme cylinder 03 is provided with journals07 on both sides.

The journals 07 of the forme cylinder 03 are each seated by means of asteady rest bearing, generally at 08, in relation to a lateral frame 09of the rotary rotogravure printing press. For this purpose, at least tworotatably seated, fixed support rollers 11, 12 are arranged at or in thelateral frame 09. A third, moveable support roller 13 is provided in thedepicted first preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The first two fixed support rollers 11, 12 support the journal 07 of theforme cylinder 03 and act against the weight of the forme cylinder 03.For example, the two, fixed support rollers 11, 12 are approximatelyarranged on a horizontal line 14. A first straight line 18, defined byan axis of rotation 16 of the forme cylinder 03 and an axis of rotation17 of the first support roller 11 constitutes an opening angle α withrespect to a second straight line 21, defined by an axis of rotation 16of the forme cylinder 03 and an axis of rotation 19 of the secondsupport roller 13. This opening angle α is between 30° to 150°, and ispreferably between 75° to 105°.

For fine adjustment with respect to the lateral frame 09, the supportrollers 11, 12, 13 can each be adjusted by means of eccentric bolts.

An axis of rotation 22 of the third, moveable support roller 13 isarranged approximately opposite to the axis of rotation of first supportroller 11 with respect to the journal 07 of the forme cylinder 03 and onthe straight line 18 defined by the axes of rotation 17, 16 of the firstsupport roller 11 and of the forme cylinder 03. This moveable supportroller 13 is rotatably seated on a first end of a pivotable lever 23.This pivotable lever 23 is rotatable in respect to the lateral frame 09,so that the support roller 13 is seated so it is pivotable or moveablein respect to the lateral frame 09. Pivoting of this support roller 13is performed by means of an actuating drive, for example by a workcylinder 24. This work cylinder 24 is hingedly connected with thelateral frame 09, as well as with the lever 23 supporting the moveablesupport roller 13. The pivotable lever 23 has a contact movable surface26 which, in the operational position of the support roller 13,cooperates with a detent 27 fixed in place on the frame 09, all as seenmost clearly in FIG. 2.

The lateral frame 09 is provided with a frame opening 28, for example ahorizontally extending slit.

For removing the forme cylinder 03, the third, moveable support roller13 is positionally changeably arranged, i.e. the third, moveable supportroller 13 can be brought from a first operating position into a second,change position.

In the operating position, the support roller 13 acts as a counter-bracefor the forces generated during printing.

In a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, as seen inFIG. 3, three journal support rollers 31, 32, 33, shown in FIG. 3, forexample, are arranged on a common roller support 34. This support 34 isembodied as a bearing bushing 34 having an opening standing in theradial direction of the busing 34. This opening is larger than adiameter of the journal 07 of the forme cylinder 03 and extends by lessthan 180° in the circumferential direction of the bushing 34. A bore,which also has an opening in the radial direction for the removal of theforme cylinder 03, is arranged in the lateral frame 09 for receivingthis bearing bushing or roller support 34. This roller support 34 forthe support roller 31, 32, 33 is pivotably arranged in respect to thelateral frame 09 in a plane extending perpendicularly to the axis ofrotation 16 of the forme cylinder 03. A work cylinder 36 is provided forpivoting this bearing bushing or roller support 34.

A center 40 of a reference circle defined by the axis of rotation of thesupport rollers 31, 32, 33 is offset by an eccentricity “e” in relationto a pivot axis 35 of the roller support 34.

A change in the position of the forme cylinder 03 is caused by pivotingthe roller support 34. In the present configuration depicted in FIG. 3the forme cylinder 03 is lowered by rotation of the roller support 34between the position shown in full lines and the position shown indashed lines.

If no positional change of the forme cylinder 03 is required, noeccentricity will be provided.

With the bearing in accordance with the present invention for thesupport of a cylinder of a rotary printing press, at least one supportroller is arranged so it can be brought from an operating position intoa change position. At least one support roller of the bearing of thecylinder can be positionally changed.

Even with a steady rest bearing with only two support rollers, at leastone support roller can be positionally changed.

In the first preferred embodiment, as may be seen by again referring toFIG. 1, a lifting device 37 for lifting, or respectively lowering, theforme cylinder 03 during a cylinder change is assigned to each cylinderjournal 07. This cylinder lifting device 37 consists essentially of apivotable, two-armed cylinder journal lifting lever 38. A first end ofthis lifting lever 38 is provided with a receptacle 39, for example ashell-shaped receptacle 39, for the journal 07 of the forme cylinder 03.An actuating drive 41, for example a work cylinder 41, acts on thesecond end of the cylinder journal lifting lever 38.

This cylinder lifting device 37 is positionally changeable. In the firstpreferred embodiment, the cylinder lifting device 37 is arranged on atransport device 42, for example a movable carriage 42. This moveablecarriage 42 has rollers, which run on carriage roller rails 43 fastenedon the lateral frame 09. These rails 43 can be extended as far as to atransport vehicle or, as in the first preferred embodiment, to anelevator 44. This elevator 44 consists, for example, of circulatingchains 46, on which support elements 47, embodied as half-shells 47 forreceiving the journals 07 of the forme cylinder 03, have been attached.Foldable rail elements 48 are arranged between these support elements 47of the elevator 44 and the rails 43 of the respective forme cylinder 03.

A linear drive 49 is provided for driving the carriage 42. In the firstpreferred embodiment, this linear drive 49 is designed as a rotatingchain 52, driven by a drive motor 51. Catchers 53 designed as chainwheels and fastened on the displaceable carriage 42 mesh with this chain52.

For changing the forme cylinder 03, first the third, moveable supportroller 13 of the steady rest bearing assembly generally at 08 is pivotedaway. The carriage 42 moves into a lift-out position, so that thetwo-armed lever 38 can extend below the journal 07 of the forme cylinder03. The work cylinder 41 of the two-armed lever 38 is retracted, and theshell-shaped receptacle 39 of the lever 38 lifts the forme cylinder 03.The drive motor 51 of the chain 52 is triggered and moves the carriage42 with the lifted forme cylinder 03 out of the lateral frame 09 in thedirection toward the elevator 44. The carriage 42 reaches the elevator44 via the lowered rail elements 48. The journals 07 of the formecylinder 03 are positioned above the support elements 47 of the elevator44 and the drive motor 51 for the chains 52 is switched off. Fordepositing the forme cylinder 03, either the work cylinder 41 of thereceptacle 39 of the carriage is extended, or the support element 47 ofthe elevator 44 is moved upward. It will be understood that two of thetwo-armed levers 38 are utilized, one for each of the journals 07 whichare located at the two ends of the forme cylinders 03. Similarly, twosupport elements 47 are provided on the elevator 44, again so that bothjournals 07 will be supported.

For delivering a fresh forme cylinder 03, the elevator 44 is displacedand positioned in respect to the receptacles 39 of the carriage 42.Subsequently, a fresh forme cylinder 03 is received from the elevator 44and is transported to the steady rest bearing assembly 08. In the courseof this, the above described steps are performed in the reverse order.

A transport device, which is not specifically represented, is assignedto the second preferred embodiment of the present invention. Thistransport device does not have a lifting device, but only a receptaclefor the journals 07 of the forme cylinder 03. Here, lifting and loweringof the forme cylinder 03 is performed by means of the steady restbearing 08, 31, 32, 33 itself, or respectively by means of the elevator44.

Thus, a linearly displaceable transport device 42, which can bepositioned by means of an actuating drive 51, is assigned to each formecylinder 03.

This transport device 42 can be provided with a lifting device 37. It isalso possible to design the steady rest bearing 08 as a lifting device.This transport device 42 can also be used for changing the impressioncylinder 02 assigned to the respective forme cylinder 03. For thispurpose, the transport device 42 can be displaced sufficiently so thatthe receptacle 39 of the transport device 42 comes underneath theimpression cylinder 02. While preferred embodiments of a bearing for arotary press cylinder in accordance with the present invention have beenset forth fully and completely hereinabove, it will be apparent to oneof skill in the art that various changes in, for example, the overallsize of the bearings, the specific type of cylinder, and the like couldbe made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the presentinvention which is accordingly to be limited only by the followingclaims. In this case the rails 43, 48 of the transport device 42 arearranged on the inside of the lateral frame 09.

This cylinder exchange device and the steady rest bearing can also beused for other exchangeable cylinders of a rotary printing press.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bearing assembly for a cylinder of a rotaryprinting comprising: a lateral frame including a frame opening slit; atleast three support rollers, said at least three support rollerscooperating to support a journal of a cylinder in said lateral frame;means supporting two of said at least three support rollers in fixedpositions on said lateral frame; and means for supporting a third one ofsaid at least three support rollers for movement with respect to saidlateral frame between a first, journal support position and a second,cylinder change position in which a cylinder is removable from saidlateral frame along said frame opening slit.
 2. The bearing assembly ofclaim 1 wherein said means for supporting said third one of said atleast three support rollers includes a pivotable lever, said third oneof said support rollers being positioned on said pivotable lever.
 3. Thebearing assembly of claim 1 wherein said means for supporting said thirdone of said at least three support rollers includes an eccentric supportfor said third one of said support rollers.
 4. A bearing assembly for acylinder of a rotary printing press comprising: at least three supportrollers, said at least three support rollers cooperating to support ajournal of a cylinder; a pivotable support, said pivotable supportsupporting said at least three support rollers; and means for movingsaid pivotable support between a first, cylinder operating position anda second, cylinder changing position, the one of said at least threesupport rollers which is located in a highest position on said pivotablesupport in said cylinder operating position being located in a lowestposition in said cylinder changing position.